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Tarte au Citron with pâté sucré

French-style, slightly sweet and tart open lemon pie
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Resting time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Dessert, Pie, Tea
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Lemon, Pate Sucre, Pie, Sweet Crust, Tarte
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 423kcal
Author: The Orange Baker

Equipment

  • Large and small bowls
  • Stand mixer with paddle tool
  • Hand mixer
  • Scale
  • Knives or dough cutter
  • Blind-baking beans
  • Fine sieve
  • Cling wrap
  • Pie or cake form, 24 centimeters or 9.5 inches
  • Parchment paper, tin foil

Ingredients

The sweet crust or pâté sucré

  • 140 grams butter in small cubes
  • 65 grams powdered sugar
  • 1 egg cold
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 125 grams cake flour
  • 125 grams all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt

For the lemon filling

  • 3 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 150 grams granulated sugar
  • 350 milliliter double or heavy cream
  • lemon zest of 1 lemon
  • 6 tbsp lemon juice (roughly 3 lemons)
  • Powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions

Make the sweet crust

  • Using the stand mixer and the paddle tool, beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg and egg yolk and incorporate well. Switch off the mixer.
  • Using a fine sieve, add the salt, cake flour and all-purpose flour. Start mixing on the lowest setting to incorporate the flour and mix for half a minute on medium speed.
  • When all the ingredients are incorporated, press the dough in a flat disk, wrap in cling wrap and leave to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Make the pie

  • Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F.
  • Grab the chilled and rested dough from the fridge, and roll out with a floured rolling pin on a moderately floured work space on your counter top. Work quickly to prevent the dough getting too warm. Roll out to where the dough is 5 centimeters or 2.5 inches larger than the top of your pie form.
  • Carefully press the rolled out dough in the corners and edges of your pie form: lift the excess and press it in the edge while you lower and go around all of the pan. If you use the wavy pan, make sure your dough covers all of the shape. Ensure the dough is equally thick all around. You can use a little ball of dough to press without damaging the dough.
  • Now, we bake blind. For that, you cover the dough with parchment paper. The easiest way to make sure your baking beans reaches all of the nooks and crannies is to crumble it up and unfold it again. Fill the pie form generously with the baking beans by pouring them on the parchment paper. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the baking beans after 15 minutes by lifting up the corners of the parchment paper. The pie looks more solid but a bit shiny because of the butter. Place the pie, without filling, in the oven again and bake for another 15 minutes. Do not extend this period to prevent the pie from over-baking. If the edges brown too fast, cover the edge with tin foil. Take out of the oven and place to the side.
  • In a large bowl, mix the eggs, egg yolks and sugar with the hand mixer until the mixture turns lighter, in about 2 minutes.
  • Add the double or heavy cream, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix to incorporate.
  • Pour the mixture in the pre-baked pie. Top tip: place the pie in the oven and extend the rack. This prevents you walking with a pie with a liquid filling and makes sure you don't spill.
  • Bake the pie for 45 minutes until the custard mixture doesn't move anymore when you slowly shake it. But be careful not to overbake, as the custard will turn brown.
  • Let the pie cool at room temperature, and place in the fridge at least one hour before you serve it. Dust generously with powdered sugar.